


The Yin to my Yang

by sadpendragon



Series: Winter in Camelot 2018/2019 [2]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Christmas, Established Relationship, M/M, Non-binary character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-10
Updated: 2019-01-10
Packaged: 2019-10-07 20:09:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 733
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17372495
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sadpendragon/pseuds/sadpendragon
Summary: Mordred is the Yin to Elyan's Yang."In Chinese philosophy, yin and yang describes how seemingly opposite or contrary forces may actually be complementary, interconnected, and interdependent in the natural world, and how they may give rise to each other as they interrelate to one another."





	The Yin to my Yang

**Author's Note:**

> Ficlet for [Pendragons and Co’s Winter In Camelot.](https://pendragonsandco-winterholidays.tumblr.com/post/180639861518/welcome-to-pendragons-and-companys-winter-in)
> 
> Inspired by rompt: "i need a story where character A is a huge grinch and character B is totally jolly but they dont try to fix each other, they just continue to love each other very much and do cliche holiday crap while character A grumbles. (they do enjoy spicy hot chocolate, but thats a known secret)"
> 
> Not beta’d.

Decorating the Christmas tree always turned out to be the worst part. Not for Elyan personally, but for the brooding boy he called his boyfriend currently frowning at their iPhone. Elyan deposited the huge box of decorations loudly on the table right in front of Mordred. They looked up from their phone glaring, and grumbled.

“Can’t you decorate on your own.”

“I could. But that’s just sad innit.”—he sighed—“but I can and I will if you really don’t want to and I won’t mind.”

Elyan looked at Mordred seriously, letting them know that he mean it: he doesn’t mind. Elyan loved decorating the house for the holidays. It was only gonna be Elyan and Mordred’s second Christmas here, living together, and their fourth spent together. The first year they dated Elyan had invited Mordred to celebrate Christmas at Gwen’s with him. He had quickly found out that Christmas wasn’t their favourite holiday. He shouldn’t have been surprised considering their childhood had been rough.

Mordred rolled their eyes and huffed. “You have no artistic bone in your body, so of course I have to help. I wouldn’t be able to stand the embarrassment of any house guests seeing your ugly tree.”

“Oh it’s like that is it,” he chuckled, “okay mister self-made artist.” He shoved the box closer to Mordred.

After a few broken balls, snarky comments and a lot of groaning, the tree was done. Elyan couldn’t stop smiling as he looked at the tree. Mordred was really good at this, the tree was simply beautiful. None of his childhood trees had ever looked this perfect. He turned to Mordred, who was staring at him and trying to suppress a smile.

“What’s next? Writing letters to Santa?” they said sarcastically.

That only made Elyan smile broader. Anyone meeting Mordred and Elyan for the first time thought they were an odd couple. But Mordred’s broody exterior had never dampered Elyan’s mood. Getting to know them, he had come to understand their kind nature. Their hidden softness. Mordred wasn’t a people person, strangers didn’t acoste them because Mordred made sure they didn’t look acostable; and that’s exactly what they wanted, what they liked. But with the people they cared about, well...Mordred’s love was unconditional, it was fierce and pure and Elyan—after the initial shock—had become the happiest man on earth the moment Mordred had crashed their lips together for the first time.

Elyan looked pensively at his boyfriend. “You think if I ask for that discontinued Harry Potter Vibrating Broomstick he can get me one?”

Mordred bursted out laughing and Elyan couldn’t resist stepping closer and kissing them.

“I’m gonna make some tea,” he whispered against their lips, “want some?”

Mordred only hummed as they went back in for a deeper kiss.

“Thanks for helping out,” Elyan said between kisses, “I really appreciate it.”

“Hmmm I wouldn’t thank me just yet.”

Elyan stopped the kissing and tilted his head back to look at Mordred. He raised an eyebrow and smiled. “Oh?”

“You know I work with a reward system darling.”

Elyan chuckled. “What do you want?” he asked amused.

“Surprise me.” Mordred gave him one last peck before taking their phone and settling on the sofa.

Elyan smiled to himself as he went to the kitchen, coming back 20 minutes later with two mugs. He sat himself next to Mordred and passed them a mug. Mordred smiled as they took the mug and closed their eyes, breathing in the smell coming out of the mug. It was hot cocoa. Their favourite.

“Hmm, now this is the second best thing about the Christmas holidays.”

Elyan smirked, “Second best? You hate Christmas, what could possibly be first?”

He took a sip of the beverage and sank more comfortably on the sofa. Mordred hadn’t replied and when he turned to look at them they were just softly gazing at him. He raised his eyebrow, questioningly.

“You’re the first best thing. You and your holiday spirit, I love it. I hate Christmas but I love what it means to you.” Mordred suddenly looked away. They said the next words more quietly, “And I love that it doesn’t bother you that I don’t have any Christmas cheer.”

“Of course it doesn’t,” Elyan said softly, “We make it work.” He kissed the top of Mordred’s head and they continued drinking their hot cocoa in companionable silence.


End file.
